Permutation-lock.



No. 636,883. 1 Patented Nov. I4, |899.

. T. 1|. ZOELLER.

PERMUTATIN LUCK.

(Appucatimmed my a, 1899.)

(No Model.)

d@ MZ?.

UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

THEODORE J. ZOELLER, OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR TO THE DAVIDSON LOCK COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

PERM UTATION-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 636,883, dated November 14, 1899.

Application tiled July 3, 1899. Serial No. 722,700, (ll'o model.)

TQ ULZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that LTHEODORE J. ZOELLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nashville, in the county of Davidson, State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Permutation-Locks; Yand I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention relates to permutation or combination locks, and has for its object an organized arrangement of tumblers, a reciprocating bolt, a fence-bearing frame, and means for positively locking said frame in a predetermined position against accidental or unauthorized disengagement.

As a further object the particular arrangement and combination of parts are designed, arranged, and adapted to produce a lock of unusual efficiency and certainty of action when properly manipulated, but at the same time one which is equally guarded against fraudulent tampering or unauthorized picking.

The invention will be hereinafter more fully described, and pointed out in the claims following.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, and whereon corresponding letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a face view of the invention, showing the combination dial-knobs and the bolt-actuating knob in plan. Fig. 2 is a reverse or interior view of the lock, showing in plan the tumblerdisks, the reciprocating locking-bolt, and the fence-frame. Fig. 3 is an edge or side view of parts shown by Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a View corresponding with Fig. 3, being an end View of the lock. Figs. 5 and 6 are plan views of the irregular locking-bolt and its actuatingcam, respectively; and Fig. 7 is a plan view of the fence-frame and fences carried thereby.

Reference being had to the drawings and letters thereon, A indicates a face-plate perforated, as at B, to admit the eye of a hasp or a staple (not shown) and having cast or otherwise formed thereon raised lugs O O, guide-lugs D D, and a channeled lug E for purposes of supporting and guiding the movable parts of the mechanism, as will later appear.

Upon lugs O O are rotatably mounted corresponding tumbler-disks F F, notched circumferentially, as at a d, and indented by radial gates G G, said disks beingadjustably supported upon the shanks of ordinary scaled dial-knobs H H, appearing upon the face of the lock, as shown by Figs. l, 3, and 4, and retained against too free rotary movement by tension of springs b b, which also serve as click-springs to announce the number of degrees in either direction the tumblers are turned.

I indicates a bolt knob appearing like knobs H H upon the face of the lock and having an arbor which projects therethrough, mounting upon its inner end an oscillatory cam J for directly actuating a locking-boltK of peculiar construction, as best shown by Fig. 5. This bolt K has a dovetail recess c, within which said cam J plays at all times, and also a retaining-lug d upon its opposite side for cooperating at times with a stop upon the fence-frame as a means of retaining said bolt K either in a locked or an unlocked position.

Within the conines of guide-lugs D D is mounted a reciprocating fence-frame L, Fig. 7, having trailing-arms e e resting in said lugs, and a leading or pilot arm f, resting likewise in the channeled lug E. At the advance or leading edge of frame L and on opposite sides thereof are fences g g, adapted to normally engage two of lthe notches a a of disks F F when the combination is thrown off or to enter the gates G G when on. The advancemotion of frame L is furnished by an expansion-spring h, secured to a plate M, bridging the guide-lugs D D but its reverse movement or withdrawal is accomplished by a pin t', eccentrically placed upon the cam J and projecting into a crescent-shaped aperture j in said frame.

The frame L, it will be further noted, is equipped with an inturned stop 7c, adjacent to one fence g, which positively obstructs the reciprocal movements of retaining -lug d when the combination is thrown off and the roo said fences rest in two of the circumferential notches a, as aforesaid; but, on the other hand, when said fences descend into the gates G G stop 7c is accordingly depressed below the path of the said lug d, and the bolt K may be thrown or withdrawn by a simple turn of the bolt-knob I.

This being its preferred construction the operation of my improved lock is as follows: Presuming for purposes of illustration that the combination is thrown off, as shown by Fig. 2, one or both of the gates G G being out of register with fences g g, under these conditions said fences will be seated in two of the notches a a of tumbler-disks F F, there being normally retained by pressure of spring 7L upon the fence-frame L. By a slight rotation of bolt-knob I in one direction said frame may be reciprocated sufiicientlyto clear the fences g g from notches a a,tl1e pin servingto effect such reciprocation by engaging the concave side of aperture]l as said pin oscillates with the cam J. Another use of the pin t' is, when the combination is off, to engage the lug p in the crescent-shaped opening in the fence-frame L and relieve the lock parts of any strain result-ing from efforts to turn the bolt-knob I. Thereupon tumblers F F may be rotated by aid of the knobs II II until gates G G are in alinement with fences g g. Said fences will then enter gates G G, the frame L being reciproeated proportionally until its stop k is carried beyond the path of lug CZ on the bolt K, the latter being thus permitted to move longitudinally. Rotation of knob I now serves to oscillate cam J, which operating in recess c throws or retracts the bolt K transversely across the slot B, thus releasing a hasp or staple which may previously have been bolted therein. Obviously a reverse action of that described serves to throw bolt K, after which the tumblers F F may be slightly rotated with the effect of throwing the combination off and securely locking the parts.

Having thus described the present invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a permutation-lock the combination with a faceplate gated tumbler-disksand fences for coacting therewith, of a lockingbolt, a fence-frame, a bolt-knob, a cam actuated by said knob for reciprocating said bolt, and an eccentric-pin upon said cam for reciprocating the fence-frame transversely with relation to the bolt, substantially as described.

2. In a permutation-lock the combination with a face-plate gated tumbler-disks and fences for coacting therewith, of a lockingbolt bearing a retaining-lug, a fence-frame provided with a stop for obstructing at times the path of the retaining-lug aforesaid, a boltknob and a cam actuated by said knob for reciprocating said bolt and fence-frame dissimultaneously, substantially as described.

3. In a permutation-lock the combination with a face-plate gated tumbler-disks and fences for coacting therewith, of a recessed locking-bolt bearing a retaining-lug, a fenceframe provided with a stop for obstructing at times the path of the retaining-lng aforesaid, a bolt-knob and a cam playing in the recess of the locking-bolt for reciprocating said bolt and fence-frame dissimultaneously, substantially as described.

4. In a permutation-lock the combination with a face-plate gated tumbler-disks and fences for coacting therewith, of a lockingbolt, a fence-frame, a bolt-knob, a cam actuated by said knob for reciprocating said bolt and frame dissimultaneously in transverse directions, and suitable channeled lugs for guiding the reciprocal movements of said bolt and frame, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 27th day of June, 1899.

THEODORE J. ZOELLER.

Witnesses:

JNO. A. PITTs, M. A. SPURR. 

